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01-07-2017, 10:55 AM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 28
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Southwind Battery Disconnect Switches
The battery disconnect switches in my 2005 Southwind (F53) have stopped working so I am unable to disconnect for long term storage. It started with the chassis switch working intermittently then not at all, now neither that or the aux switch will work. Any ideas on what to look for to resolve the issue? Thanks in advanced!
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01-07-2017, 11:23 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: La Marque, Texas
Posts: 269
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You might try looking at the solenoid which engages to turn the power on and off. I have two of them in the battery control box. One controls power to the chassis and the other to the coach.
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01-07-2017, 11:39 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Holiday Rambler Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 113
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No technical advice to lend but I wonder how much current draw there is on the batteries even when the disconnect switches are off?
__________________
Helicopter pilots don't fly, they beat the wind into submission........
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01-07-2017, 12:00 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
American Coach Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: SW Florida
Posts: 2,971
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GoBigGuy
The battery disconnect switches in my 2005 Southwind (F53) have stopped working so I am unable to disconnect for long term storage. It started with the chassis switch working intermittently then not at all, now neither that or the aux switch will work. Any ideas on what to look for to resolve the issue? Thanks in advanced!
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Best to begin with the sw. itself. Pull it out and disconnect the wiring, then touch the wires together and then apart for some relay response. Also check for 12vdc on the hot wire coming in with a voltmeter.
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07 Revolution LE 40E_1 1/2 Baths_Spartan MM Chassis_06 400HP C9 CAT_ Allison 3000
Dinghy_2010 Jeep Wrangler JKU ISLANDER
1998 36ft. National Tropi-Cal Chevy Model 6350 (SOLD)
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01-07-2017, 12:30 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Moulton, Alabama
Posts: 189
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My relays have 5 volt fuses mounted on them on the control side. They were not making good connection and I had to clean them with sandpaper. Connections on the control side are low power and prone to problems.
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Jerry
2016 Gulfstream/Ameri Lite 268BH
/2006 Ford Expedition
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01-07-2017, 12:42 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
American Coach Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: SW Florida
Posts: 2,971
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Quote:
Originally Posted by J. Frank
My relays have 5 volt fuses mounted on them on the control side. They were not making good connection and I had to clean them with sandpaper. Connections on the control side are low power and prone to problems.
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More like 5amps and on the 12vdc circuit board. The relay contacts will be 12vdc as well as the coil, but will have a larger wiring size and are capable of more current flow.
__________________
07 Revolution LE 40E_1 1/2 Baths_Spartan MM Chassis_06 400HP C9 CAT_ Allison 3000
Dinghy_2010 Jeep Wrangler JKU ISLANDER
1998 36ft. National Tropi-Cal Chevy Model 6350 (SOLD)
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01-08-2017, 09:04 AM
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#7
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: West Palm Beach, FL. USA
Posts: 27,704
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It's a pretty simple system. The actual switch you push is a low current 12v switch that sends power to a good sized relay (solenoid) that actually does the main power switching. Most problems are with the switch or wiring rather than the solenoid relay, but either is possible.
The battery disconnect and Aux Start solenoid relays are separate. The Aux Start relay is also the one that connects the chassis system to the house battery system for charging while the engine is running (from the engine alternator). Check the house battery voltage with the engine running and shore power off, to see if you are getting 13.6v or more. If so, you know the Aux relay itself is working OK..
__________________
Gary Brinck
Former owner of 2004 American Tradition and several other RVs
Home is West Palm Beach, FL
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01-08-2017, 02:25 PM
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#8
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 28
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gary RVRoamer
It's a pretty simple system. The actual switch you push is a low current 12v switch that sends power to a good sized relay (solenoid) that actually does the main power switching. Most problems are with the switch or wiring rather than the solenoid relay, but either is possible.
The battery disconnect and Aux Start solenoid relays are separate. The Aux Start relay is also the one that connects the chassis system to the house battery system for charging while the engine is running (from the engine alternator). Check the house battery voltage with the engine running and shore power off, to see if you are getting 13.6v or more. If so, you know the Aux relay itself is working OK..
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The house battery is receiving a charge when the engine is running (no shore power) so would seem the solenoid is ok.
Quote:
Originally Posted by J. Frank
My relays have 5 volt fuses mounted on them on the control side. They were not making good connection and I had to clean them with sandpaper. Connections on the control side are low power and prone to problems.
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These fuses are located in the battery control box under the hood with the solenoids or inside the drivers area?
Thank you everyone for the advice!
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01-08-2017, 02:53 PM
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#9
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 28
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Okay I found the fuse in the battery control box and it was fried, tried installing new fuse and it immediately fried, manually disconnected all batteries and tried again, fried again.
Started coach and house batteries are still getting charge without relay fuse. Is solenoid bad? Is solenoid behind this fuse panel?
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01-08-2017, 04:10 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Moulton, Alabama
Posts: 189
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I would say the disconnect relay is gone bad. It should open the circuit and it is not. Fuse is blowing and relay is staying closed and allowing connection to continue to charge and function normally. It should open the circuit.
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Jerry
2016 Gulfstream/Ameri Lite 268BH
/2006 Ford Expedition
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01-08-2017, 10:35 PM
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#11
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 28
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Is the relay on the board or do I need to pull that out to get to relay.
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01-09-2017, 06:45 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Brighton, MI
Posts: 775
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GoBigGuy
Is the relay on the board or do I need to pull that out to get to relay.
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You see the black can in the upper left of your picture? That's one of the disconnects. The other should be back there somewhere as well as the one that jumps the house and chassis batteries together. Is there a schematic on the back of the cover for the box? If not a google search may get you one. I had one fail, wouldn't lock in the on state so no power to the dash. I'd be surprised if you had 2 failures. Neither switch disconnects the batteries?
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Hank & Lynda
2003 Winnebago Adventurer 35U, Workhorse W22
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01-09-2017, 06:53 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Brighton, MI
Posts: 775
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Quote:
Originally Posted by macjac69
No technical advice to lend but I wonder how much current draw there is on the batteries even when the disconnect switches are off?
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In theory, none. These switches latch in either the open or closed state. The only time power is supplied to it is when you hit the switch. Now did the coach builder connect anything to the battery before the disconnect, that's possible. Our MH only has a disconnect for the coach batteries, not the chassis battery. Only thing connected to the coach batteries before the switch is the solar panel so it can maintain the batteries even when disconnected.
__________________
Hank & Lynda
2003 Winnebago Adventurer 35U, Workhorse W22
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01-09-2017, 10:43 AM
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#14
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 28
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 70ChevelleSS
You see the black can in the upper left of your picture? That's one of the disconnects. The other should be back there somewhere as well as the one that jumps the house and chassis batteries together. Is there a schematic on the back of the cover for the box? If not a google search may get you one. I had one fail, wouldn't lock in the on state so no power to the dash. I'd be surprised if you had 2 failures. Neither switch disconnects the batteries?
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Yes, neither switch currently functions to disconnect batteries. The switch for the chassis battery stopped working some time ago (after only working occasionally for a while) the house battery switch just went all at once. I have just read a bit on the "salesman switch eliminate" option. If I am understanding that correctly I would just connect the heavy gauge wires from either side of the solenoid and then I could just manually disconnect both the house and chassis batteries for storage. Anyone have advice on that option, will everything still charge correctly if I do that? I would just use something like this for a manual disconnect then not have to worry about solenoids going bad again. http://a.co/97yQDVm
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